V1 and V2 Rocket Attacks in East London

In the early years of the Second World War, bombing raids tended to use traditional bombs and incendiary devices. These were used to great effect in sustained attacks during the Blitz, for example. However, later in the war, the Germans developed new technologies and created the V1 and V2 rockets or flying bombs.

These were long-range artillery weapons that could be launched on Britain from Germany.

V1 and V2 Rocket Attacks in the East End

These rockets caused significant damage to London as a whole, and were greatly feared by Londoners. The V1, often nicknamed the “Doodlebug” or “Buzz Bomb”, had a design flaw that cut its engines before it hit its target. This meant that people could hear it coming and then know that it was about to strike close by when its engines went silent. Apparently, you had a few seconds of silence before the massive explosion. V2s were even more frightening in a way as they had no such design flaw with the result that nobody could tell when one was about to strike. V2s were also virtually impossible to defend against or to shoot down.

The first sets of V1s launched in June 1944; V2s were first used later that year. They caused significant damage all over the capital and across Britain.

Like most of London, the East End saw its fair share of V1 and V2 attacks. Stepney, Poplar and West Ham were particularly hard hit. West Ham had around 27 V2 attacks – this is a relatively high figure as these rockets were not used for long, and other areas of London did not get into double-digit figures with V2s. The East End had two hits of note. One of the first V1s launched on the city caused the first civilian casualties from a V1 in Bethnal Green. A damaging V2 strike on Stepney was one of the last V2 attacks of the war, causing considerable damage and many civilian deaths and casualties.

The V1 Rocket Attack at Bethnal Green

The Germans launched a range of V1s for the first time on June 13th, 1944. Only four of these actually reached Britain. The one with the worst impact on that day, and the only casualties, landed at Bethnal Green in the East End of London.

This V1 attack killed six people and seriously injured another 30 when it landed in Grove Road in Bethnal Green in the early hours of the morning. This was the first of only nine V1s that landed in the Bethnal Green area during the war. The rocket hit the railway bridge on the road and destroyed it. It also caused so much surrounding damage that it is thought that it left around 200 locals homeless.

If you are visiting Bethnal Green, you can see a blue plaque on a building in Grove Road that marks the spot where the V1 fell. This is officially the first site to have been hit by one of these rockets in London.

The V2 Rocket Attack in Stepney

Vallance Road in Stepney is thought to have been the scene of the second largest V2 tragedy in the Second World War. Sadly, the rocket that hit this road was one of the last V2s to be launched on London. It hit the area on the last day that V2s were used during the conflict and fell just seven weeks before the war officially ended.

The rocket made a direct hit on a set of three tenement blocks. Known as Hughes Mansions, these tenements housed hundreds of people in individual flats. The V2 killed 134 people immediately and seriously injured around another 50 people. It decimated the local Jewish community and killed many local families and children. The V2 fell at just after 7am, when many of the residents were still at home, and left a massive crater that measured 30ft by 10ft. Rescue efforts involved five cranes and various emergency personnel from all over the area.

Most people are thought to have died instantly as the rocket hit – it completely razed two of the three five-story blocks of flats that made up the building to the ground, reducing them to piles of rubble. Others are thought to have died more slowly from asphyxiation – when these rockets hit and exploded, they created an air vacuum, which left victims unable to breathe.

You can see a plaque in Vallance Road that marks the site of the Hughes Mansions’ bombing, although the buildings themselves were never replaced after the strike. You can locate the building by finding the children’s playground in the road — this was built on the site of the Mansions’ original courtyard. This road is also well known in East End history for other reasons. The infamous East End gangsters, the Kray twins, lived in Vallance Road with their parents.

I grew up in Hanworth, Mddx. I saw several V1’s and on one occasion, when I was standing outside, talking to my neighbours, a V1 came towards us, the engine cut and it started to dive. We were all rooted to the ground when suddenly the engine restarted and it veered off to starboard and finally exploded several miles away. I only recently discovered that this most likely due to a shortage of the small guillotines, which were supposed to cut through fuel/air pipes.

I was under a table and watched another V1 flying over our house and diving. It exploded on an air raid shelter in The Close, Hanworth, about 1/2 mile away, killing many who were just leaving. I remember going to see the damage and the houses were just like large doll’s houses, with the fronts completely open. My brothers and my father, who was a chief A.R.P. warden helped to recover the bodies.

On another occasion, I was cycling to Hounslow with my parents when there was a VERY loud explosion to our left, about a mile away. Apparently, a V2 rocket had crashed on the marshalling yards at Feltham.

My Cousin Joe Olive lived in Forest Road, Walthamstow, with his mother and sister. Joe was going out to the back, outside toilet and saw a V1 approaching. He called out to his mother and sister to get into the Morrison Shelter when the V1 exploded on their house. Rescue workers dug out his mother (my aunt) and his sister who had suffered fractured ribs and took them to Whips Cross Hospital. My Aunt asked where was her son Joe? Rescue workers went back to check and found Joe under a door which was leaning against a wall, with rubble on top. He also had cracked ribs so was being taken to Whips Cross Hospital by ambulance, when another V1 crashed nearby and the ambulance was blown over by the force of the blast. Another ambulance had to be called.

I worked in America for several years as an Aero/Space engineer. Some of my fellow engineers who were of Polish origins, were some of the forced labour who designed and built the V1’s and V2’s. After I transferred to the G.E. Space Division, Hubert Humphrey, the American Vice President came to visit with Werner von Braun!!! I was VERY tempted to shout out just what I thought of him!

Burrard Rd Custom House London E16. I was born May 1941 I have a strong memory of standing next to my mother at the back yard door. Lots of ladies voices using words my mum said I must never repeat were being shouted across those back yards. In the sky were big fish on ropes (Barrage balloons) suddenly,in the air a black thing with smoke behind it. Mum picked me up and run indoors. we sat under the dining room table which evidently had a carpet over it. There was screaming noises (Air raid warnings I was later told) and lots of noise. I enjoyed these times, My mum would sing and play with me under that table. lots of broken glass and dust was everywhere when we came out. Mum would pick me up and run to the top of the road. She told me in later years, it was to see if any shops had been hit. We had a small bomb shelter in the back yard called a Anderson shelter. but I remember it always being flooded. Please forgive my bad grammar.

Thank you for sharing these memories with everyone here. Really is great to hear your recollections of a time that seems so long ago now. I remember my grandmother being frightened by thunder as she said it reminded her of the bombs.

This now feels like a confessional. The only other plain memory of those times was occasionally being with the big boys after raids. They would quickly enter the bombed out shops, factories and houses with hammers and what may have been chisels and screwdrivers. With open gas pipes at the side of them (my imagination may be taking over here, but I seem to remember flames coming out of them, im not sure) They broke open the gas meters for the coins, Our job as little kids was to watch out and warn them if the old bill or wardens appeared. (anyone in a uniform). I never told Mum, you were lectured every day not to go in bombed out buildings. I wonder if anyone remembers the pub at the top of my street, The Peacock. Freemasons Rd?

I know of The Peacock, my grandma worked there. My grandma lived in Burrard Road, it’s where my Mum was mainly brought up. They lived in Burrard Road before the war started and my grandma did not leave there until, I think, they demolished and rebuilt 1970’s?. She then moved to Freemasons Road, then South Moulten (sp) as she got older. I don’t come from the area as my mum was evacuated to rural Essex met my dad and stayed here, but her heart was always in the East End.

I am trying to verify a close call with a V” that my father-in-law had at the back end of 1944 or the beginning of 1945. He was building shuttering moulds for the Mulberry Harbours. He was either at Tilbury or one of the two London Docks used for this purpose. They were East India or South Dock close to the river Thames.

He said he saw a vapour trail in the sky, and the weather was clear and sunny. Someone shout “Get down”! So he hit the dirt quickly and escaped unhurt. He said there were casualties but I am unsure of this fact. Sadly he is dead now, so I can’t trace the facts any other way but by this method.

The month began with mild, changeable weather, and on the 3rd the maximum temperature rose above 12°C. At the end of the second week a quieter spell of weather developed with some dense fogs occurring. However, a short unsettled interlude on the 17th produced nearly 12mm of rain. On the 20th, the fog was very dense, and over the Christmas period there was freezing fog. On both the 26th and 29th the maximum temperatures were only minus 0.8°C. Tilbury

I remember the V1 that landed in Grove Road. I was on night-duty in the old Hackney Hospital and saw what looked like a small plane, on fire, being chased by a Spitfire? Or Hurricane? Then came the bang.

my family lived at 86 wren rd on the corner of porter ave barking Essex. we were hit with a V2 at about 0600 I do not remember the day.We were lucky we survived but the house took the full blast.We were billeted out to another council house. I cannot find a record of the hit but there was several in our area.

I was in Broadway Market with my mother who was in a shop getting groceries when I heard the pulsating noise of a V2. I looked into the shop and saw that everyone was lying flat on the floor – no noise – then the explosion came and pandemonium broke out. I was outside the shop at the time, unhurt and wondering what all the fuss was about. At six years of age, you don’t know fear. I can still run this event through my mind with great clarity.

Hi Alan, Thank you for your reply. It was my husband who e-mailed you as he is a member of the website. My name is Jacqueline, my gran Adelaide Croucher lived in Ackbar House, Cahir Street, my mum was one of seven children, they were Ethel, Alice, Adelaide, Alfred, Billy, Rose (My mum) and for the life of me can’t remember the last sibling. I ask my husband to email you as the Crouchers would have been quite a big family at the time you mentioned in your post on the website. I know one of my Uncle’s also lived in Arethusa house in Cahir Street. Does any of this mean anything to you, would be lovely if it did. Jacqueline

I lived in Shore Place Hackney.on December 23 1944 a V2 exploded above our house and a large part of it including the fuel tank came through the roof hit the water tank then came through my sisters bed then down into the dining room.It finished up hanging over the table in the mattress.it turned out to be the fuel tank full now Phosphorus.Luckily the water from the tank stopped it from bursting into flame.we had a few family visiting that night but luckily no one was badly hurt apart from some burns from the phosphorus.

My Mum & dad with 10 children lived in Burnside street near the Bridge in Drove rd where the V1 came down, we all left London in 1940 evacuated to Swindon. There are 2 of us left out of 10 children. Both in our late 80″s.

My father’s family lived in Ashwell Rd, Bethnal Green. The street, and others around it were wiped out in 1944/5 by either a V1 or V2. He thinks it was a V2, but can’t be certain. Does anybody have any info about this please? The area was never built on, and became what it now Wennington Park next to the canal.

Interesting to read of the V1 rocket that landed on Grove Rd. I was two years old at the time and lived with my family (Dad was an ARP Warden)in Lessada Street. Our house was wiped out, with others, my paternal Grandad was killed by this rocket. We were then moved to Bonner Road where I grew up.

I lived in Thorngrove Road, Upton Park during the war, a few landed in our street. My parents are both buried in the City Of London Cemetery, and on a visit some years ago, I saw a gravestone with the inscription “Launched into eternity by a V2”. Always wondered who decided on such an inscription, obviously not the deceased, but seems a bit insensitive for a relative.

Most of my mother’s family were bombed out in Poplar. My brother claims it was at the beginning of the war, but I remember my mother taking me to visit her mother in Cording Street, Poplar. As I was born in 1939 I think the bombing must have occurred later for me to remember this. Thanks for your input.

We lived at Cave Rd Plaistow. In July 1944 . My parents decided to have a weeks holiday, at my elder sisters home at Cambridge. Neighbours made the usual comments ,obout running away.We left about 10-30am.The V1. Hit our house at approx. 12noon.Many of the neighbours were killed.I am now 88 years of age.Sad though.

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